For Cornell descendants: There is a RI_Ancestors — Yahoo Group — you might want to join. Check it out! Carolyn Cornell Holland

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February 8, 1673.

The body of Rebecca Cornell, 73, of Portsmouth, was found burned to death in front of her bedroom fireplace. The death of the widow of Thomas Cornell is suspicious.

Late afternoon on the fateful day Rebecca’s son Thomas arrived home to find his mother feeling ill. Family members took turns keeping her company. Thomas talked with her for ninety minutes, but left at 7:00 p.m. to wind a Quill of Yarn before supper.

Rebecca allegedly didn’t join the family at supper because she didn’t want the “salt-mackrill” meal. After about 45 minutes her grandson Edward went to her room to ask her if she wanted something else to eat. Seeing flames, he ran out to get a candle. Meanwhile, everyone ran in haste to her room, where they found her burned beyond recognition.

Two nights later Rebecca’s brother, John Briggs, a 64-year old grandfather, was surprised by a visit from a ghost. Upon seeing the shape of a woman by his bedside, he “cryed out, in the name of God what art thou…”

“I am your sister Cornell. See how I was Burnt with fire,” the apparition replied, then repeated: “See how I was Burnt with fire.”

A later autopsy showed “A Suspitious wound on her in the upper-most part of the Stomake.”

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In the 21st century an air of mystery and intrigue still surrounds this murder that occurred on Acquidneck Island, located in Narragansset Bay, in the state of Rhode Island. The town of Portsmouth was on the north half of the island. Newport was on the southern half.

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Rebecca’s son, Thomas Cornell, 46, was accused and tried for his mother’s “murder.” Circumstantial evidence was stacked against him. A patriarch “wannabe,” he was the last person to see Rebecca alive.

His relationship with his mother was rancorous, disrespectful and full of enmity. He likely saw her “as someone who belittled him, thwarted his independence, and curtailed his upward mobility.” Caring for Rebecca, whose life extended beyond the norm of the day, weighed him down. Financial conflict fueled his emotions: she’d given him her estate with the stipulation that he had to divide 100 pounds among his siblings. His temper, which Rebecca told people she feared, didn’t help.

Thomas not only had motive to murder, he also had access to a purported murder weapon, “sume instrumen licke or the iron spyndell of a spinning whelle.” He was tried, found guilty and hung, probably on Miantonomi Hill in Newport, a high spot chosen for its visibility to the crowds that gathered for this event.

He was found guilty, and on May 23, 1673, he was hung in Newport.

Thomas’s wife gave birth to their last child, a daughter, after his hanging. Sarah named this child Innocent, perhaps in retaliation for her husband’s guilty verdict.

Did Thomas commit murder? Or was there a gross miscarriage of justice the day he was hung?

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After the fact authorities and Thomas’s friends were uneasy about the guilty verdict. Two events indicated that God, too, was dissatisfied with the verdict: excessive rains drenched Rhode Island that summer; and a fire burned 30 houses a year later.

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If Thomas wasn’t guilty, what happened? Who were the other suspects?

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Unrest existed between the Island’s Europeans settlers and the Indians. Often Indian revenge was taken out by attacking lone female family members, and arson was their tactic.

An Indian named Wickhopash (a.k.a. Harry) had a motive for the crime. He’d been on “the losing end of criminal action for grand larceny brought by Thomas in June 1671” and had received a perceived excessive punishment. He could have entered Rebecca’s downstairs bedroom through one of two doors. In 1674, in a loosely evidenced case, he was tried for the killing.

Could Thomas’s wife Sarah, who had a violent streak, have had a role in Rebecca’s death? Tension existed between the two women. Sarah was burdened with “catering to her demanding mother-in-law.” That Thomas’ sons were unruly, creating a disorderly household, didn’t help. In 1675 Thomas’s younger brother, William, presented persuasive evidence that Sarah did have a role in Rebecca’s death.

Both Harry and Sarah were acquitted.

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Could Rebecca’s death have been an accident caused by her nightgown catching fire when she put a log in the fireplace?

Was her death was accidental? Rebecca might have tried making her own fire, caught her nightgown on fire, fallen and dragged herself away from the hearth.

Perhaps Rebecca committed suicide. On three occasions she’d confided in her daughter Rebecca that she’d considered suicide.

So whodunit? Was it murder? An accident? Suicide?

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These questions are explored in depth in Killed Strangely: The Story of Rebecca Cornell by Elaine Crane, written while she was at Fordham University The book is an outgrowth of a study on elder abuse in New England during the 1600-1700s. Crane uncovered enough information on the Rebecca Cornell case to write this book, in which she thoroughly explores the issues of family abuse, aging and ghost testimony, all found in the trial transcript.

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I discovered the story of Rebecca Cornell and her son Thomas when I received an updated paternal genealogy from my father’s cousin, Bob Davis, of Estero, Florida. Rebecca and Thomas were the Cornell family’s original New England ancestors. The line I descend from contains three more Thomas’s, three Gideons, Gardner, William, Irving, William and my father, Robert.

The Rebecca and Thomas Cornell family line contains four murder stories, the most well-known being the Lizzie Borden case. Lizzy Borden was a descendent of Innocent.

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I’d read Killed Strangely before my husband Monte and I made our first visit to Acquidneck Island on February 18, 2003. During the snowy, cold day we confronted the investigation of the questionable justice wrought in 1673 by locating the site of both the Cornell estate in Portsmouth and the place where Thomas was hung, Miantonomi Hill. Everything else was closed; we’d have to gather research at a later date.

We revisited Acquidneck Island October 2-3, 2006. In Newport we climbed Miantonomi Hill , where Thomas Cornell was probably hung. It was a high hill at bayside, a site chosen because hundreds of people could come and witness the event. Today, there is a tall World War I memorial on top of the hill.

In Middletown(carved out of Portsmouth and Newport) we followed a road leading to a public dock, where we enjoyed a picnic supper and a sunset over Conanicut Island (the location of Jamestown, Rhode Island)—the same color-splashed sky the Cornell family would have seen several centuries previously (except for the electric lights). We stood next to the Wading River estuary (where the river meets the sea) and identified the bay-point that is a direct mile from the Cornell house.

We learned that the Cornell home, destroyed by fire in the mid-1800s, was rebuilt in the same style. In 2006 it was a defunct restaurant. The estate grounds house part of a Navy installation guarded by a chain-link fence enclosing most of the Cornell estate.

With snow-free roads, we could pick out property landmarks, but we couldn’t locate the cemetery site where Rebecca was buried. We searched a road behind an adjacent apartment complex to no avail: it had either deteriorated to destruction, it might be on the Navy grounds, or it was hidden well.

In 2008, with the help of a local Cornell family descendent guide, we found the cemetery, located in a woodsy spot behind a condominium development. There were perhaps a dozen or more stones, most with lettering washed off. The stones that were readable were dated between the late 1600s to the mid-1800s. Remnants of a rusty metal fence, supported by cement posts, surrounded two sides of the cemetery, which was covered with overgrowth. The writing on the stones faced south. There was a sign denoting that we were in a historic cemetery.

For more information on Lizzy’s case, click on LIZZIE BORDEN—A REENACTMENT or type in Lizzy Borden murders on the Google Internet search engine. For information on the Rebecca Cornell murders type in Rebecca Cornell 1673, or read “Killed Strangely, the Story of Rebecca Cornell” by Elaine Forman Crane, 2002.

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The links below take you to the eight Thomas and Rebecca Cornell cemetery photos contributed to this article by their descendent, George Cornwell. If you read the comments below, you will learn that he and his brother John spent many “sweaty” hours cleaning up the cemetery. I appreciate George’s permission to post the photos.

I recently spoke to the author, Dr. Crane, who assured me she had found the family burial plot deep in the overgrown woods. It is not located on the government property. I visited this spot in Rhode Island a month or so ago, and walked back in the woods, but did not go deep enough to locate the plot. I’ll try again in the spring.

I finally located the cemetery. To read my experience, click on IN NEW ENGLAND, HISTORY CONFLICTS WITH PROGRESS (on y site, http://www.carolyncholland.wordpress.com in the folder 2008 NEW ENGLAND). Thanks for your comment.

By the way, the “c” in carolyncholland stands for my maiden name, Cornell.

I am directly related to the Cornells also. I live on the Cornell Farm in Dartmouth MA. My grandmother was a Cornell. On 8/5/09 I located the Cornell cemetery. It is hard to find…You must enter the Bay View condo compex..keep going straight…towards the ocean. You will enter a newly built are of condos, turn left and look for Condo 281. pull behind this condo unit (you can park there) there is a small path cut into the woods..enter this path..about 10 feet in..look to your right..there are stones still standing. What caught my attention is that there are plastic flowers that have been placed there. If you need further info..your welcome to contact me

More info.. There are other names of people buried there that I cant explain..A john Wyatt from Virgian and a few Coggshalls. I have found no record of these family names in my research..any help would be good..my email is ctjersland@comcast.net

Awesome Craig– did you buy the Cornell farm or inherit it!? and if you bought it, did you know you were related at the time!? I am almost done reading the book by Dr. Crane —it is very good– My husband is also a descendent of Thomas and Rebecca– from their son Samuel— next time we go to Portsmouth, I will look for the cemetery–our daughter recently married and lives in Rhode Island now, from upstate NY— thanks for the directions–Kim Mabee

Thomas and Rebecca were also my “grandparents.” I did return to Portsmouth in April ’09, and easily found the cemetery behind the condos. My brother George was with me and we spent many sweaty hours with assorted handtools clearing out debris and undergrowth. We found the plastic flowers scattered about and bundled them next to a tombstone. Many of the stones are still legible. Cross referencing the Cornell Geneology by Rev. John Cornell (1902), I was able to make sense of many of them…ie: Coggeshalls were old neighbors and married into the family.
Jack Cornwell

Hi Everyone— we found the cemetery yesterday— Craig, you did a wonderful description job on how to find it– John, sorry to say all your hard work needs redoing— if you go to findagrave.com you will find some of the pictures I took and downloaded– it is named the thomas cornell cemetery, in rhode island/newport county of course—i wrote in what i could read—there are lots of broken stones etc— kim

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Carolyn — were you finally able to see the pictures on the findagrave.com web site? if not, i could email them directly to you— it is a shame about the condition–there was a large branch/tree in the way of the sign even– did not think to bring a chain saw with us! It has warnings for vandalism, but you can see it was used for target practice– any ideas of who/how we can bug someone to get all this properly taken care of?? state? town? historical society? owners? —thanks, kim

Carolyn—do you know who G Corwell is ? they duplicated some of the names on findagrave—i would be happy to turn them over to someone if they want to control them— i see what they tried to do– add some info — but they needed to contact me to do that,i guess — not 100% sure how this works– kim

Hi Carolyn,
I also am a member of the humble corp of direct descendants of Thomas Cornell. My home is in New Jersey, and I visited the Cornell cemetery in April with my brother Jack[John W. Cornwell] who has posted comments above.
I am glad you received our cemetery photos, but regret I could not figure a way to post them on your blog.
Kim Mabee’s comments, and the grave photos she post at “findagrave” were very helpful for me in some mild research on some of the individuals buried there.
My primary source was Rev. John[1839-1926] Cornell’s 1902 Cornell Geneolgy[which is available online [via “Ezra Cornell Papers”].
I also used “Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries Transcription Project”2007
to find more information about birth/death dates.

George,
Let me know which photos you would like added to the blog and I will link them. Thanks.
Are you anywhere near Belcoville, NJ? There is another family there descended from the Cornells. They are my father’s children by a second marriage.
I was also surprized to find another group of Cornells nearby where I live in Southwestern Pennsylvania. They are descended from a different child of Thomas and Rebecca Cornell.
I am descended from their son Thomas, who was hung. Rightfully or wrongfully. I have yet to have contact from anyone else who is descended from son Thomas.
Which of Thomas and Rebecca’s children are you and Jack descended from?

Hi Carolyn,
Please post my photos, as I hope they generate interest so that the cemetery can be restored.
My siblings in Monmouth and Sussex counties, NJ are descended from Richard Cornell, one of I believe nine children of Thomas & Rebecca.We are the 10th generation in the new world.

Hi Carolyn,
I hope you can post my Thomas Cornell Cemetery photos, as they may generate interest so that the cemetery can be restored/protected.
There is a pressing need to take down some trees so that the tombstones will not be damaged.
My siblings in Monmouth and Sussex counties, NJ are descended from Richard Cornell, one of,I believe,nine children of Thomas & Rebecca.We are part of the 10th generation in the new world.
I really enjoy the many facets of your blog. I loved your humorous story about your Lizzie[Cornell]Borden “reenactment.”

Hi Carolyn, Doris, George, and Jack—i just checked out findagrave—i turned over Sarah Brownell, Catherine Cornell, Steve Cornell, and Phebe Cornell, so now you can put all your info on the one with the picture and delete the other one with no info okay george !!?? i turned over Lydia Albro to Doris— then we can get it down to the 12 halfway readable stones again—wonder if we can figure out the other pieces from John’s genealogy? You folks all know more than i do — i am a newcomer to the cornell families– but just have closer access! and where are there other photos posted? thanks -kim

I just posted George’s photos links at the end of the above post, Killed Strangely. It’s followed by a link to Kim’s photos.

As for the question re keeping the cemetery cleaned up, usually there are at least three options: a local group, a foundation with money set aside to hire it done, or perhaps the local historical society.

Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for your encouragement and help re: the Thomas Cornell Cemetery in Portsmouth, RI.
Kim Mabee and I have chronicled/updated information, and added photographs at “FindAGrave” for the benefit of other Cornell decendents.
Also, Craig Tjersland’s directions[#4 above] are VERY helpful as to how to find this hidden cemetery [off of West Main Road near the end of Rolling Hill Road at Bay View Estates].
Next year perhaps we can generate more interest in this historical cemetery in the Portsmouth area,so that it may be saved from further damage.
And of course, thank you for your information and comments regarding Dr. Crane’s great book.

I too go back to Thomas Cornell. His daughter Elizabeth, married Lewis Morris of Passage Point. This a very interesting story of Rebecca Cornell. Sounds like Thomas, the son, got it put to him. Did you know that Thomas Cornell’s Inn/Tavern was on Milk St in Boston and right around the corner lived Benjamin Franklin’s parents? Just thought I’d throw that in there. Lewis was killed by one of his slaves in 1696. This was another famous trial in New Jersey. The slave had his hands cut off, was hung and then burned. Lewis and Elizabeth’s daughter, Rebecca married John Chamberlin. I’m still trying to prove my lineage back to Rebecca Cornell, daughter of Thomas Cornell, who married George Woolsey. The wife of Lewis Chamberlin, who was the son of John Chamberlin and Rebecca Morris, name was Lucretia Woolsey. Her mother and father have been a mystery to me for many years. Most places have her father as George Woolsey and the mother as Hannah Smith. Lucretia was born c. 1711. I have yet to find any type of documentation to prove this. She wasn’t listed in George’s will, but then again, not all of his children were, just 5 of the 8.

I live in Northwest New Jersey and I’ve wanted to visit Boston, but never had the chance. I have other ancestors from that area also that it would make a very interesting trip to see where they might have lived. One of my ancestors, Rev George Phillips, was a passenger on same ship as John Winthrop in 1630. He and another gentleman founded the town of Watertown, MA. He also started the Congregational Church in America, which is today, the United Church of Christ. Another family was the Henry Chamberlin Family. They live in Hull/Hingham, MA until they got in trouble for being Quakers and moved over to Rhode Island. Henry was a blacksmith, not to be confused by Henry the Shoemaker. The Cornell’s also owned land in New Jersey where the Morris and Chamberlin families ended up.

Hello, I am currently reading this book as well and enjoying it. Thomas is my 11th great grandfather. My great grandfather, Jesse Underwood, married Viola Bell Cornell with a direct link back to the people in the book.

HI Everyone- this is a very interesting piece of history to read- Henry Straight who was a border in the Cornell home at the time of the murder, was one of my great Grandfather’s and I also had another family ancestor who sat on the Jury so to speak.

[…] KILLED STRANGELY: A NEW ENGLAND MURDER STORY …"Rebecka Cornell widdow was killed Strangely at Portsmouth in her own Dwelling House": so reads the cryptic entry for February 8, 1673, in the Quaker records … […]

This story fascinates me! I found it a couple of years ago when I came across clues that suggest we’re also Cornell descendants here in Oklahoma! I had to buy the book. I’m reading it again because I want to share the story with my family on my blog, American Saga. I will track back to you when I get it written.
Jan

I just found out that Thomas Cornell and Rebecca Briggs were my 11th great grandparents according to my DNA test. I’m excited to find more of my father’s side and always excited to find more relates and history. I live in Lebanon,MO

I will email you. Meanwhile, type the name “Cornell” in the search engine on CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS and you will discover who I am. Also type in Westsylvania.
Perhaps You probably know which of Thomas and Rebecca’s children is your ancestor. Mine is Thomas, the one who was hung.
Carolyn Cornell Holland

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